The Changing Face of Love and War
by cofcgirl
Summary: War leaves nothing untouched. Suspicion and fear spread like the plague. Families are destroyed. Sides are chosen. Will the Marauders survive the madness, when two of their own are targeted?
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. And I will admit, that I got the idea for this plot from another story. This is hardly the same, though, so the plot and any new characters are very much mine.

WARNING: This might turn out to be slash. In fact, I'd say that is fairly likely. I will not give any further warnings.

Chapter One

It had all started in the middle of their second year. Well, Remus supposed that it had really been going on long before that, but no one had really noticed anything odd or unusual until about the time he and his friends entered their second year of school. People, important people, started disappearing. At first, the Ministry had tried to call it a coincidence when several of their employees, along with three of St. Mungo's most talented Healers all disappeared within the same year. Then, in fourth year the attacks began. They were mostly small at first, and seemingly random. One or two Muggles in London, a half-blood witch in Wales, two Muggle-borns in West Essex, all killed or tortured by unknown assailants within the same month and all seemingly unconnected. Only Albus Dumbledore seemed to believe that there was a connection behind these attacks, a greater threat than a bunch of Pureblood-crazed teenagers. The Ministry still insisted that there was no real danger, no threat to the wizarding world. They paid for their unwillingness to listen to reason when, in the summer before the Marauders' sixth year, the Minister of Magic himself was attacked in his very own home.

Things really began to pickup after that, now that there was irrefutable evidence that these attacks were planned out, and not random at all. Not long after the attack on Minister Bulwark's mansion, the Death Eaters as the attackers called themselves, became more open. They no longer recruited people to their cause in secret. Dark Magical creatures were sought out, resulting in the Ministry enforcing new restrictions on werewolves, vampires, and other such 'half-breeds'. The Ministry feared that they would go over to Voldemort's side if left open to their own devices. Half-breeds were also now more open to suspicion. If an attack occurred near the residence of a werewolf, that werewolf was brought in for questioning – and, more often than not, assumed to be guilty. Fear and prejudiceswept through the wizarding world in a great tide, splitting up families, friends, and even schools.

Until their sixth year, it had seemed to the Marauders that Hogwarts was the one place that couldn't be touched by war, or hatred, or even prejudice – as long as you ignored the Slytherins. However, Remus would still remember years afterwards the day that all changed. That change happened through a number of very different events. The first such event occurred on October 31, the morning after one of the largest attacks until that point.

* * *

Sirius groaned as he rolled out of bed, before taking a look at his alarm clock. It was nearly ten, but as it was a Saturday, he still felt it was much too early to be up. Nevertheless, Sirius mused, there was no point in trying to go back to sleep after he'd already gotten up. 

After having a shower, Sirius decided that he'd let his friends sleep long enough. Pulling on a pair of Muggle jeans over his boxers, Sirius spotted James' curtains hanging open and grinned evilly. He picked up his wand from his bedside table and snuck over to his best friend's bed. Just as Sirius was about to cover him in green goo, James muttered, "Don't even think about it, Padfoot."

"How'd you know it was me?" Sirius asked, puzzled.

"You sing in the shower, mate. How did you not expect us to wake up - especially with _your _godawful voice,"Remus said cheerfully, as he climbed out of his own bed, getting ready for a shower himself.

"Oi!" Sirius said indignantly, as he threw a pillow from James' bed at the offending werewolf. "I'm not that bad. In fact, I think I'm rather good."

"Sirius, you think you're good at everything, but believe me, you're not," said James with an amused smile on his face.

Sirius pouted before remebering that it was time for breakfast. He brightened, saying, "Well, I know when I'm not wanted. I'm going down to breakfast without you lot, then."

* * *

The other Marauders took their seats next to Sirius ten minutes later. Remus was glad to note that he seemed to have calmed down a bit. "Mail here yet?" he asked Sirius, who shook his head. 

"Nope. Why? You expecting something?" Sirius asked, glancing at the shorter, sandy-haired boy across from him.

Remus was about to answer when the Great Hall was flooded with owls. As he looked up, searching for his own family owl, Remus noticed that there seemed to be much more mail than was normal, especially after only a month of school. He glanced at the head table, and was surprised to see that rather than eating, almost all of the teachers seemed to be conversing tensely with each other. Remus frowned when he saw Professor McGonagall giving him an odd sort of look, almost like sympathy, before turning back to her conversation with Professor Dumbledore.

Before he could point out this strange behavior to his friends, Remus was pecked rather harshly on the wrist by a large and important looking barnowl he didn't recognize. The owl flew off as he relieved it of both the letters it was carrying. One of the letters was in a black envelope, instead of the usual white, and both had the Ministry of Magic Seal on it. He frowned as he began to open the letter in the white envelope, wondering what the Ministry could possibly want with him.

Peter, who'd noticed the letters asked, "Hey Moony, what you got there?" James and Sirius turned to him with curious expressions on their faces as well.

"Dunno," Remus said as he unfolded the letter. His friends were surprised and faintly concerned to see his face darkening with anger as he scanned the letter.

"What is it?" James asked, worry shining in his eyes. "Remus? What's wrong?"

As he finished the letter, Remus stuffed it back into its envelope. He took a deep, calming breath before answering, "The Ministry. Apparently, they have passed a new law, requiring all 'half-breeds' such as myself to report to the Ministry within two weeks of receiving this notification. I am supposed to submit to an 'interview', after which I am to be _branded_."

"Branded?" Sirius asked, his eyebrows raised in shock. "What do you mean, branded?"

Remus' face took on a decidedly bitter expression. "According to this," he said, waving the letter, "they are going to magically tattoo my registration number, as well as a symbol that represents werewolves onto my skin. It says that I could be stopped by anyone at anytime and asked to show my tattoo and I will have to comply. Basically, it people want to find out what I am allthey'll haveto do is ask to see my arm and they'll know," Remus said.

"But that's ridiculous! The only thing that'll do is make you a target for discrimination!" James said indignantly.

"I know," Remus said witha sigh. "But it's not like I've got much of a choice, is it? It says in this letter that if I don't comply with their directions within the given time period, I will be removed from school and placed in a concentration camp - if not Azkaban."

The others shuddered. Remus had told them about an experience he'd had with werewolf concentration camps a few years ago. By the sound of it, the only thing that made one of those places any better than Azkaban was the fact that the wizard prison was guarded by Dementors, while the camps were guarded by a magically-enforced silver fence.

"What's your other letter about?" Peter asked, trying to lighten the mood.

Remus had forgotten about the black letter. Opening it up, he took out a rather short message on official parchment. His expression froze as he read it.

"What is it now?" Sirius asked in concern.

Remus' eyes were filled with tears by the time he'd finished reading. He turned to the others, not bothering to hide the fact that he was crying. "There was another attack last night - in the village where I live," he croaked out. "Nearly half the townspeople were killed - including my parents and my little sister. My family's - they're - they're all dead."

A/N: Do you like it? Should I continue? Please review!


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Remus was very thankful for his friends – without them, he wouldn't have been able to handle the loss of his family as well as he did. It helped him to know that he wasn't alone, even with his family gone. The other Marauders mourned with him, and barely left him alone. It became a sort of contest between the three of them to see who could make him smile or laugh, or at the very least, stop looking quite so sad. However, it was Sirius who seemed to help the most. Though he could hardly be considered sensitive by anyone's standards, Sirius had a much better understanding of what true pain was than either James or Peter did. While his family wasn't dead, and although he hadn't been on good terms with them for years, Sirius knew what it was to lose loved ones. He'd still loved his family, after all, and as much as he'd hated their attitudes towards – well, everything – it had hurt him a great deal to have to leave. Because of this, Sirius was the one to get Remus to open up about his family.

One afternoon about three weeks after Remus had gotten the news, Sirius had charged up to the dormitory in need of a shower after a particularly difficult Quidditch practice. When he found Remus lying on the bed and staring off into space, tears streaming down his face, Sirius decided that enough was enough. He cautiously approached his friend, dropping his broom on his bed. "Remus? Are you – I mean, I know you're not okay, but – do you, y'know, want to-"

"No." Remus said flatly. He knew what Sirius was going to ask, and he did not want to talk about anything. He sighed. "Sorry for snapping, Sirius, but I just want to be left alone."

"Well, too bad," Sirius said, sitting on the edge of his friend's bed. "I think we've left you alone long enough. Besides, I know from personal experience that you'll feel better if you talk about it, Moony. So talk."

"Sirius, talking isn't going to bring my parents and little sister back," Remus said finally turning to face his friend.

"I know. Nothing's going to bring them back, or make the pain go away, Remus," Sirius said sympathetically. "I know that. But I also know that talking might help you come to terms with what's happened."

"Come to terms with it?" Remus asked incredulously, as he unconsciously rubbed the spot on his right arm where he'd been branded a few days ago. "Sirius, they're _dead._ Dead because of some stupid pureblood maniacs, who hated the fact that my mother was a halfblood. How do you come to terms with the fact that your entire family has been murdered because some tyrant decided that they didn't deserve to live? I don't want to come to terms with it. I want them back. I want the pain to just go away," Remus said, as he broke down in tears again.

Sirius looked at his distraught friend and felt his heart constrict. He hated seeing Remus in pain. "I know you want them back Remus," Sirius said as he pulled his friend into a tight embrace. "I also know that the pain isn't going to go away. But this isn't the end of the world. As hard as it might be to see that now, things will get better. It'll be difficult, for a long time, but eventually, it won't hurt quite so much."

"How would you know, Sirius? You _chose _to leave your family," Remus said, leaning in to the comforting hug. "You said it yourself – you hated them. You've never- .This is entirely different."

"It isn't, really. I hated my family, yes. But I also loved them, even though I didn't want to. I never stopped wishing that my family would be like yours, or James', or even Pete's. I wanted them to love me back," Sirius said, pushing his long ebony hair out of his eyes. "And even though they aren't dead, that doesn't mean that I haven't lost them. It doesn't mean that I don't want them back, in a way. I still want to be hugged and kissed by my mum, even though she hasn't done that since I was four. I want _that _back, but I know I'll never have that feeling again, at least not from them. I mean, my brother is a prime example. Did you know that when Regulus and I were younger, we used to be practically inseparable? And now, I don't even know where he is. He should be here, getting ready for his OWLs. But he's not, and I don't know why. He could be - the point is, Remus, people don't have to be dead to be gone. And people don't have to share a name or blood to be family. You, James, Pete – you guys are my family. My real brothers, now that Regulus is-. Without you three, I'd never have gotten through the summer. You never let me alone when I was going through that, and we're not going to leave you alone, either. Friends – _brothers _– don't do that."

Remus could tell that Sirius meant everything he'd said, and was touched. Maybe Sirius was right. "All right," he said, with what was probably his first true smile in weeks. "I'll talk – if only to get you off my back." And so he did. He and Sirius spent half the night talking, alone. James and Peter had come up once, to see why they hadn't come down to eat, but one look from Sirius had them heading back out without question. They seemed to realize that Remus needed to talk to someone who understood his pain first. They knew he'd talk with them later.

The werewolf was very grateful to his friend. Sirius had been right. Remus wasn't finished mourning, by any means. But he no longer felt the need to lock himself in the dormitory for hours on end, or throw himself into his work with more vigor than ever before. He could talk about his parents and sister without breaking down. Remus was still in pain, but he knew that he would eventually be able to move on, and the pain would lessen with time.

Remus wasn't the only one to lose relatives in the attack. His village was full of wizarding families, and many of the students at Hogwarts had cousins or siblings or grandparents who lived there. Three first year Gryffindor girls, Katie, Sara, and Michelle McGenis had an older brother who'd left school three years ago who'd been killed in the attack. He'd been living there with his wife and newborn son when the Death Eaters attacked. A seventh year Ravenclaw boy had been notified that his older cousin, a pureblood witch who'd made the mistake of marrying a Muggle was now dead. Two fifth year Hufflepuffs had lost their grandparents and an uncle to the Death Eaters. It seemed that the only house whose members had not been affected in some way by the attack was Slytherin.

In the weeks after the attack, Hogwarts changed a great deal. It was as if the very life had been taken out of the student body. Everyone (with the exception of the Slytherins) was tense and sad; especially those who had lost loved ones. And things, unfortunately, weren't getting any better. Death Eater attacks were an almost daily occurrence, meaning that by the end of November, there was hardly anyone who hadn't been affected personally by the war. The fact that the Slytherins had yet to lose any family members yet was something that no one failed to notice.

For years, there had been a rift between the Slytherins and the rest of the school, especially the Gryffindors. Despite that, while it may have been odd for people from other houses to be friends with Slytherins, it wasn't anything to worry about. However, as the year progressed, most of the other students seemed to agree that all Slytherins were bound to be future Death Eaters, and were therefore dangerous. The Slytherins were no longer people to be taunted or pranked (unless you were a Marauder). They were people to be feared, people you didn't turn your back on. The rift between the Slytherins and the other students soon became a great gaping chasm, one that no one could cross. Inter-house friendships died because being seen in friendly or at the very least non-hostile conversation with one of the green-clad students was grounds for suspicion.

It didn't even matter if the person you were talking to was a relative – in fact, that only made it worse, as a fourth year Gryffindor found out. Catherine Gale, one of Gryffindor's best Quidditch players, was seen talking to her cousin, Derick, who was a seventh year Slytherin, a few weeks after 'the massacre' as some students had taken to calling the attack. It didn't matter that he was one of the few Slytherins who didn't share his housemates' dislike of Muggleborns or halfbloods. All that mattered was that he was a Slytherin, and she was talking to him willingly. The fact that they were related meant that most people automatically assumed that she was going to become a Death Eater, like he was thought to be.

When the _Daily Prophet _began to publish reports on Death Eater arrests, things only worsened for the students. Even the students who hadn't been friends with Slytherins were ostracized. Mark Jonson, a third year Ravenclaw whose older brother had been arrested for killing Muggles, was now treated with fear and hatred by his own housemates. Cheryl Carlyle, a sixth year Hufflepuff, was abandoned by her friends when it was reported that her mother was brought in for questioning about practicing the Dark Arts. Gryffindor first year Charlie Wright had a cousin who'd been involved in 'the massacre', and as such, he was now seen as an object of fear and hatred by his year-mates. The Slytherins, of course, were more than thrilled with this turn of events.

They were the only ones not abandoning their housemates – the only ones who were willing to treat those who'd been ostracized by the other houses with any sort of nicety. It wasn't long before Charlie could be seen sharing meals with the first year Slytherins. Mark had taken to helping the Slytherin third years with their homework in the library, and Cheryl was rarely seen out of the company of one or two of the older Slytherin girls. The Slytherins with open arms welcomed all of them and more.

This also meant that pureblood names like Malfoy, Lestrange, and Black were no longer names to be respected but feared and even hated. If you were a Black or a Malfoy or a Lestrange, you didn't have to be in Slytherin to quickly become an object of scorn and hatred. Caitlyn Malfoy, a first year Hufflepuff, was abandoned by her housemates right along with Cheryl. Deryl Lestrange, who was a seventh year Ravenclaw prefect, was ignored by his friends and hated by everyone – except the Slytherins. They too were welcomed into the arms of the Slytherins without a second glance. It wasn't long before Sirius, who'd always hated the Slytherins, and had never left anyone in doubt about the fact that he did not support his family's beliefs was given the same treatment by his housemates.


	3. Chapter Three

A/N: No slash yet, unfortunately. But it might be here soon, so if you don't like it then please don't complain to me!

Chapter Three

"Hey Black! Kill any Muggles today?" Sneered a Ravenclaw fifth year as Sirius and Remus made their way to Arithmancy, the only class they had without James and Peter. Sirius turned, growling at the boy who'd asked the question, but before he could do anything, he felt a hand on his arm, pulling him back. Remus was shaking his head, though he looked just as angry as Sirius was.

"Just ignore him, Sirius. Anyone who thinks you're capable of stuff like that isn't worth your time and you know it," Remus said as he steered the other boy into their class.

Sirius knew Remus was right – he always was. But it was still hard. Ever since the attack two months ago on Remus' village, the students at Hogwarts had begun treating him and a few others like they were the ones doing all the killing. His entire house was against him, with the exception of the other Marauders. James, Remus, and Peter were the only ones who wanted anything to do with him. Sirius Black, once one of the most popular students in school, was now a social outcast, hated by almost the entire student body.

Still, Sirius knew that he was lucky. After all, he still had his closest friends by his side. It seemed that James and Peter spent most of their time trying to distract either Sirius or Remus whenever one of them was feeling particularly down. James got Sirius to take part in more childish pranks against the Slytherins than ever before, while Peter was constantly challenging him to endless games of chess or Gobstones to take his mind off things. Though Remus hadn't exactly changed his behavior towards Sirius, the two boys had become closer to each other in the past two months than they'd ever been. After all, they were both encountering the same sort of prejudice, even if it was from different sources. The Ministry believed that Remus was going to become a Death Eater, if he wasn't one already, simply because he was a werewolf, just as the students believed that Sirius was a Death Eater simply because he was a Black. This made things difficult for both boys, but they each felt lucky to have someone who could understand what they were going through.

Unfortunately for Remus, James, and Peter, their continued support of Sirius meant that they too were suffering socially. True, they weren't treated with the same sort of hate as Sirius was, but they had experienced a sort of fall from grace with the rest of the students. They weren't sneered at, but were considered outcasts by the rest of the school.

Sirius was pulled out of his thoughts by a sharp jab in the side. "What?" He asked, scowling at Remus.

"Weren't you paying attention?" Remus asked as he began to pack his things away. "Class is over."

"Oh," Sirius said, finally noticing the rest of the students walking out, none of them so much as acknowledging the two boys.

"Yeah, 'oh'. We'd better get going if we don't want to be late for Potions," Remus said, standing up.

"You mean we don't want to be late for Potions?" Sirius joked, shouldering his own bag, which he hadn't bothered to unpack.

"Not when it's the last class before the Christmas holidays and that idiot Abinger is going to be giving us a test," Remus said with a slight frown as they walked out of the class and headed towards the dungeons.

* * *

The rest of the day passed without incident, with the exception of Sirius turning Snape's hair pink in Potions. He spent the whole of dinner that night complaining about Abinger assiging him a detention as soon as the Christmas holidays were over. 

"Well, Padfoot, what do you expect? She did catch you playing a rather childish prank on her favorite student," Remus said as he cut up a piece of steak.

"Yeah but still! It's the holidays, and she gave me extra homework plus a detention!" Sirius said indignantly.

"Yeah, Moony. Whose side are you on, anyway?" James asked with a laugh. "Marauders don't stick up for teachers!"

Remus snorted. "Right. I'll keep that in mind the next time a Slytherin decides to prank McGonagall, shall I?"

"So anyway, what do you guys want to do in Hogsmeade tomorrow?" Peter asked, effectively changing the conversation.

"Zonko's." James said immediately. "What?" He asked, noticing Remus roll his eyes. "I'm low on Dungbombs. And I've still got Christmas shopping to do."

"Well, I'm done with all my shopping, so I guess it doesn't really matter to me where we go," Remus said.

"I don't care either," Sirius said. He scowled as a couple of fourth year Gryffindors glared menacingly at him as they left the Great Hall. "Just so long as we avoid everyone else."

"Well, I need to go to Devish and Banges to get something for my dad," Peter said hurriedly, trying to distract the others. "So why don't we go to Zonko's and Dervish and Banges first, then we can decide whatever else we want to do."

"Sounds like a plan," James said in approval as the others nodded before returning to their food.

* * *

"God, it's freezing out here," Sirius said as he wrapped his cloak tighter around him. After finishing their breakfast, he and the other Marauders had left for Hogsmeade immediately, not wanting to deal with the other students who'd stayed at school and were planning to visit the village. Even with the layers of clothing each of them had put on that morning, it was still uncomfortably cold out. 

"Well, we're almost to the village," Remus said. "Why don't we get some butterbeers to warm us up before we start shopping?"

"Sounds good," James said, his teeth chattering with cold.

As they entered Hogsmeade, Sirius was glad to note that there didn't seem to be many other students there yet. Hedidn't have to worry about glares or unfriendly comments for a while, for which Sirius was thankful.

All four boys sighed with relief as they entered the warmth of the Three Broomsticks. They smiled at the hostess, Madame Rosmerta, before picking a table in the far corner of the room. The table was as far away from the door as they could be, and it was far away from where most of the other patrons were sitting. Rosmerta smiled as she approached their table.

"What can I get you boys?" She asked.

"Four butterbeers, I think," James said, glancing around at his friends for confirmation.

"Nothing else? Are you boys feeling alright?" Madame Rosmerta asked in mock concern. "You normally eat half my food between the four of you."

"Well, we really just stopped in to warm up," Remus said. "We'll be back after we've finished our shopping, so no need to worry."

"Alright, I'll be back in a minute," she said, hurrying away to the bar.

* * *

"I'm glad there's not many people here yet," Sirius said with a sigh, as he watched James bounce around Zonko's with the enthusiasm of a four year old. "I'm really beginning to hate crowds." 

"I know what you mean," Remus said sympathetically. "Those idiots at school can be so hard to deal with."

Having finished with their drinks, the four boys had decided to get their shopping done as quickly as possible, in order to avoid the crowds they knew there would be later. As soon as they'd seen a few older students enter Madame Rosmerta's pub, they'd paid for the butterbeers and made a quick exit, trying to attract as little attention as possible. They'd gone to Dervish and Banges and then Honeydukes so Peter could get some sortof magical gadget for his dad and chocolate for his little brother. James had practically dragged Peter away from a display of Sugar Quills so that they could continue shopping.

"Well, I've got everything I need!" James said happily, as he walked up to the counter.

"I certainly hope so," Remus said, staring in shock at all the things his friend was buying. "What did you do, get one of everything?"

James' arms were loaded down, not only with Dungbombs, but also fake quills that shot ink at whoever tried to use them, and dozens of other things. "No I didn't get one of everything, Moony. Are you crazy?"

"No, but that sure is a lot of stuff," Remus said as James paid for his things.

"Well of course it is! I got four of everything. There had to be enough stuff for all of us, you know," James said, as if that were the most obvious statement in the world. And for him, perhaps it was.

* * *

A few hours later, the boys found themselves backat the same tablein the Three Broomsticks, now laden down with their shopping. After Dervish and Banges, they'd stopped by the bookstore for Remus, and then the pet shop because James insisted on getting flee powder and a dog leash for Padfoot. Sirius was not amused. 

"This looks wonderful, Rosie, thank you," Sirius said, grinning charmingly at Madame Rosmerta as she brought them their second plates of food. Sirius' attitude had changed drastically since they'd been in the village. It seemed that he only had to be away from the other students for a few hours before he was able to return to the flirtatious, somewhat arrogant boy his friends knew and loved. They were glad that Madame Rosmerta and the other shopkeepers in Hogsmeade didn't seem to see Sirius the way the students did.

"Of course, dear. I'm glad to see you boys eating so much, you're all way too skinny!" She said, laughing as all four of them tore into the delicious food. A group of Hufflepuffs on the other side of the room caught her eye, and the attractive hostess turned away from the Marauders to go take their order.

Just as Sirius was finishing off his third butterbeer, there wasa loud explosion out in the street. The other patrons looked around in confusion, wondering what was going on. "What the hell was that?" Sirius asked, looking at his friends.

"No idea," James said, frowning in worry. As one, the four boys got up from the table and made their way to the door to see what was going on. All of the other patrons, even the ones who weren't students were ducking under the tables, not knowing what else to do. They could hear screams of terror coming from outside, and Remus cracked the door to the pub open.

"Oh God," Remus breathed in horror at the scene that met their eyes. Students and villagers were running aroundin panic, looking for cover as dozens of maskedfigures in hooded black robes fired curse after curse at random passersby. The Death Eaters were attacking Hogsmeade.

A/N: Well, this has got to be the most updates I've done in a while! Anyway, please review! And no flames.


	4. Chapter Four

A/N: I hope ya'll like this. If you do, please review! Hey, that rhymes. Anyway, there's still no slash yet, but I expect it to be there in the next chapter or so. Don't hold me to that, though.

Chapter Four

The four boys stood frozen in horror as they watched the scene unfold. Suddenly, James seemed to come to his senses. He turned to the others and said, "We can't just stand here. We've got to do something – it won't be long before those Death Eaters are coming in here, too."

This seemed to break the others out of their trances. "I agree," Sirius said, his face set in determination. "They're attacking third years – we've got to get them out of here."

Remus nodded in agreement. "I say we round up as many people as we can and get them out through the Honeydukes passage – not many people know about it, so the Death Eaters won't be able to follow us."

"Sounds good," James said. He was just about to step outside when he turned to face the others in the bar, all of whom were staring at the Marauders as if they were crazy. "Why is it we're the only ones trying to do anything? Are you lot just going to sit there, or are you going to get off your arses and do something?"

A Ravenclaw fourth year sitting at the bar spoke up. "How are we supposed to know _he-_" he said, indicating Sirius "isn't going to attack us?"

Suddenly frustrated, Remus turned to face the younger boy. "When are you people going to get it through your thick heads that Sirius _isn't _a Death Eater! If he were, don't you think he'd be out there, wearing a mask and a hood like the rest of those cowards? And if you're going to let fear of what Sirius – who's never once hurt any of you, and who's never accepted his family's pureblood beliefs - _might _do keep you from helping your friends then you're just as bad as those who are out there trying to kill them! If you're so against the Dark Arts, then why don't you prove it by helping us? We're not asking anyone to fight the Death Eaters, just help get the younger students out of danger, and warn the Headmaster." With that, the four boys turned and walked out of the pub, not caring if anyone followed.

* * *

"Right," James said, looking at his friends. Each of them looked pale and nervous, but even Peter had a determined look on his face. "I think we should split up, but always have at least one of us in sight – that way we'll cover more ground, and we'll have help nearby if we need it." 

"Yeah," Sirius said as he took out his wand. "Let's meet back at Honeydukes in a half hour, no matter how many students we've found, all right? And try not to engage the Death Eaters unless you have to – we won't really stand a chance against them for long." The others nodded, and they split up, James and Sirius heading towards the mountains on the edge of town. Remus and Peter ran in the other direction, closer to Hogwarts. It wasn't long before the Death Eaters noticed the four boys, and began to fire curses at them as well.

Remus turned around and shot a stunning spell at one of the Death Eaters attacking them, before refocusing on his destination – the Post Office. He could see a number of younger students, as well as some younger kids who were much to young to be attending Hogwarts taking cover behind the building. The werewolf ran up to them quietly calling, "Peter, over here!" The other boy turned towards his friend's voice, and seeing where he was, started running to him.

"Follow us," Remus said to the group of third years, as he picked up a small brown-eyed boy who couldn't have been more than six and started making his way around the back of the building. He saw Peter take up the rear, making sure that none of them got left behind. Remus glanced around, looking for anyone who might attack them as they left the cover of the Post Office. Seeing three masked figures approaching them from the right, Remus fired another stunning spell at them before ducking back behind the Post Office. He heard one of their attackers yell in surprise, so he thought he must have hit one of them. Chancing another look around the corner, Remus saw that his suspicions were confirmed. He glanced back at Peter and was glad to see that the other boy was keeping watch from the other side, making sure that no one could sneak up on their group from behind.

Hearing the other two attackers coming closer, Remus lunged out from behind the building, shouting, "Impedimenta!" He saw his target stumble back, and aimed a stunning spell at the hooded figure, before dodging another attack by the remaining Death Eater and jumping back out of the line of fire.

"Right, I think we've waited here long enough," Remus said to his charges. "Pete, c'mon let's get these kids out of here. Be ready to run, everyone." With that, Remus grabbed the little boy again before rushing out from behind the building, shouting what sounded like a war cry. His shout and sudden appearance took the other Death Eater by surprise, and Remus stunned the attacker without hesitating.

* * *

On the other side of the village, Sirius was running towards a bunch of younger children, none of whom attended Hogwarts. A Death Eater was standing in the middle of the High Street, laughing as he put one of the four kids under the Crutiatus curse. Seeing the girl's tiny body twist with pain as she screamed in terror, Sirius fired a curse at her attacker. The man yelped in surprise and then pain as his robes caught fire. The other man distracted, Sirius was able to stun him before picking up two of the children and running for cover with the others following behind. 

The girl the Death Eater had been attacking was still crying, even though the curse had been lifted. Sirius took her into his arms and said, "Hey, it's all right. I know a way out of here, okay? You kids'll be back with your parents soon. Just do what I tell you to, all right? You'll be safe soon, I promise." The other children, two boys and another girl, none of whom looked any older than seven, seemed to be calmed a little by his words. The girl in his arms stopped crying and they all nodded.

Putting the girl down as gently as he could, Sirius ducked out from behind the structure they were using as cover. He didn't see any Death Eaters coming their way. He did, however see James leading a two Hufflepuff third years and a Gryffindor fourth year through the town. Sirius sighed in relief at seeing that his friend was apparently uninjured. He wondered briefly how Remus and Peter were faring, before deciding that he couldn't worry about them at the moment. He had to get these kids to safety.

Telling the kids to stick close to him, Sirius slowly made his way towards the nearest structure he could use for cover. It would have been quicker to just go back down the street like James was, but the kids couldn't keep up with him, and carrying them was out of the question.

It was nearly twenty minutes before Honeydukes came into sight. Sirius had had to stun or tie up four Death Eaters, and had picked up a few younger Gryffindors who'd been trying to take cover behind a large tree. He turned back to the group following him and said, "All right. I can see Honeydukes from here – there's a passage hidden in the cellar that will take you to Hogwarts. That's where we're going. You're going to have to run, as fast as you can. You three," he said to the other Gryffindors, "carry these kids and keep your wands out. Let's go." With that said, Sirius picked up the girl he'd been holding earlier and began to run towards the sweet shop.

Sirius saw James reach Honeydukes and disappear into the sweet shop with his group just as a group of six Death Eaters emerged from an alley down the street. He sped up as the Death Eaters turned towards his group. "James!" He called as he neared the shop, hoping that his friend would hear him. "James! Help!"

Hearing the call, the messy-haired teen stepped out of the shop. He looked relieved to see his friend, but that relief soon turned to fear when he saw where Sirius was pointing. Not stopping to think, James ducked back inside, firing curse after curse at the Death Eaters, trying to cover Sirius' approach. Two of the attackers went down before the other four turned their attention to James and began to attack him as well. James dodged their curses, and just managed to get out of the doorway in time for Sirius to enter.

Sirius placed the girl he was carrying on the floor and stood out of the way for the rest to get into the sweet shop. He wondered briefly where the owners were, before deciding that it didn't matter. Sirius told the kids to hide in the cellar before returning to the doorway and joining James in his attempt to hold off the other four attacking Death Eaters.

James noticed with increasing dread that more Death Eaters were approaching their spot, and preyed that the students he'd sent ahead would be able to find the Headmaster soon. He continued fighting off the group of now eight Death Eaters, and was shocked when two of them were hit with stunning spells – from behind. As more of the attackers fell under the double assault, James and Sirius were able to make out who had come to their aid. They were glad to see that it was Remus and Peter, and they weren't alone. Apparently, the Ravenclaw who'd questioned Sirius in the Three Broomsticks had joined them, along with some other sixth and seventh years.

It wasn't long before the Death Eaters attacking them fell, and the group of fifteen students and younger children made it into the shop. Peter seemed to be uninjured, with the exception of a few minor cuts and bruises, though he was breathing heavily from exertion. Remus, on the other hand, was limping slightly and looked quite pale.

"Are you guys all right?" James asked his friends in concern, as they entered the cellar. The group Sirius had brought was waiting for them near the trapdoor.

"Fine," Remus said, though his voice sounded strained. James decided to let it pass as he reached down to open the door. Peter jumped into the passage, and Sirius began handing the younger children to him. They told the older students to make sure that everyone got back to the school, and to inform the teachers.

Once all of the four boys were alone in the cellar, James looked at his friends and said, "Well, do we go back out there or return to school?"

"Go back out there," Sirius said immediately. "There are still a bunch of people in danger, and we should try to help as many as we can."

"I agree," Peter said, much to the others' surprise. "We should do what we can. But I don't think Moony should come. You're hurt," he said, seeing his friend about to protest. "You might think you're fine, but you aren't, and I for one don't think you're in any condition to fight."

"I'm not going back without you guys," Remus said with a fierce growl.

"All right," James said, taking charge once more. "Remus, why don't you stay here; we might need someone to cover us when we come back. That way, you won't have to move too much, and you're not leaving us behind."

Remus couldn't disagree with this, so he just nodded. Sirius and Peter seemed to agree with this as well. The four boys heard more shouts of fear, and another loud explosion as they returned to the main part of the shop. Sirius glanced at his friends, wishing them luck, before leading James and Peter back into the street. Remus watched from the doorway as his friends sped off in three different directions. He kept an eye on them as long as he could, and fired stunning spells at any Death Eaters who approached the shop.

* * *

What felt like hours later, Professor Dumbledore finally arrived, along with Professors McGonagall, Abinger, and a few others. They began attacking the Death Eaters immediately. Most of the masked figures fled as soon as they saw the venerable old Headmaster. 

James, Sirius, and Peter had just gotten another group of students to Honeydukes when nearly fifteen Death Eaters, who apparently weren't aware of Dumbledore's presence, attacked them. Remus, seeing his friends in trouble, ignored the pain in his right ankle (he'd injured it earlier when he'd been hit by a curse), hurried out to help his friends.

The Death Eaters converged on the four boys, hurling curse after curse at them. They managed to either block or dodge most of them, and were able to give almost as good as they got. However, one misstep sent Remus sprawling to the ground with a cry of pain. He managed to roll out of the way of one of the Death Eaters' curses, but he was unable to return to his feet. Remus rolled onto his back and continued trying to curse their attackers, before he himself was hit. He cried out in surprise and pain once more before everything went dark. One of the Death Eaters conjured up robes and bound the unconscious teen, before lifting the boy up and placing him on his shoulder.

"No! Remus!" Sirius cried, seeing his friend being picked up by the Death Eater. He sprang forward, throwing as many curses and hexes as he could at the man, before he too was hit. Sirius vaguely registered hearing James and Peter calling his and Remus' names before falling to the ground, unconscious.


	5. Chapter Five

A/N: Sorry to disappoint anyone, but there is still no slash yet! I expect it to come soon, though. Anyway, I thought it might be nice to include more of James and Peter for a change. Hope you like this. Please review!

Chapter Five

"NO! Leave them alone!" A loud cry rent through the dark dormitory, pulling Peter awake. He looked over at the bed next to his, and saw James tossing and turning, obviously caught up in a nightmare. "Remus! SIRIUS!" Peter jumped up from his bed, hurrying over to his friend's side. He shook the other boy, trying to wake him up.

"James! James, wake up. Come on, wake up, man," Peter said frantically, shaking the messy-haired boy's shoulders. With a shuddering gasp, James opened his eyes and practically shot up from bed. He calmed slightly when he realized that he was at school, in his bed. James glanced around the room, eyes finally coming to rest on the other two beds in the dormitory. The two empty beds.

"They're really gone, aren't they, Pete?" James whispered, not caring that tears were falling down his cheeks. He felt Peter shift so that he was sitting on the bed in front of him. "The Death Eaters took them, didn't they?"

It had been three days since the attack on Hogsmeade. There had been several injuries, but none of the students had been killed, thanks in part to the actions taken by the four Marauders. Dumbledore had given them all awards for Special Services to the school, as well as one hundred points each for their bravery. Unfortunately, Remus and Sirius weren't there to receive their medals. Just as Dumbledore and the other professors had gotten to the village, the Death Eaters had run – taking Remus and Sirius with them.

"Yeah, they did, James," Peter said sadly. He was struggling to contain his own tears in an effort to be strong for his friend. "But I'm sure they're okay. I mean, if the Death Eaters had wanted to kill Remus and Sirius they would have done it then, right? There must be a reason they were taken. Besides, you know Dumbledore's got people out looking for them; he never lets anything happen to his students."

"I know," James said, looking down at his lap. "But they're our best friends, and they're in danger. I guess I just feel like we should be doing something to help. I can't stand just sitting around, waiting for someone else to save them – or find their bodies."

"Me neither," Peter sighed. "But there really isn't much we can do, is there? I mean, they've already got the Ministry looking. What could we do that they can't?"

* * *

James' mood had improved slightly by morning. He and Peter had decided to go to Dumbledore immediately after breakfast. They wanted to know if the Ministry was any closer to finding their friends, and if there was anything they could do to help. James carelessly threw on a pear of jeans and a sweater – school hadn't started back yet, so they were allowed to wear Muggle clothes instead of uniforms. He went down to the common room to wait for Peter to finish his shower. James was relieved to see that it was empty; he was feeling very resentful towards his fellow Gryffindors at the moment. He blamed Sirius' and Remus' kidnapping partially on his housemates – few of them had done anything to help him and his friends.

About ten minutes later, the shorter blonde-haired boy came down the stairs wearing a thick green sweatshirt and a pair of jeans. "Sorry I took so long. I couldn't find my soap, and I didn't want to use Remus' again. Took me forever to find mine."

James nodded as he stood up. Peter had a habit of loosing his things, and Remus often let the other boy borrow his stuff. "S'alright. Ready to go?"

"Yeah," Peter said as he stuffed his wand into his back pocket.

James smiled slightly for what felt like the first time in days. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Pete," he said as they approached the portrait hole.

"Do what?" Peter asked in confusion.

"Put your wand in your back pocket," James said as he opened the portrait. "A friend of my dad's once told me that he'd seen someone lose part of their arse because they put their wand there."

"Part of their arse?" Peter gasped, eyes wide with shock and a little worry.

"Yeah," James said with a small grimace as they stepped out of the common room. "The guy who told me that was a real nutter, though, so I'm sure you'll be fine." He clapped Peter on the back reassuringly.

* * *

Whispers followed the two boys as they entered the Great Hall that morning. James and Peter ignored most of them, and took a seat at the very end of the Gryffindor table, as far away from the other students as they could get. Like James, Peter was still upset with their schoolmates. They ate their breakfast calmly, exchanging a few words, but neither really feeling up to much conversation. However, James heard something in the conversation of the five fourth year boys nearest him that caught his attention.

One of the boys, a skinny brunette with dark green eyes leaned forward to tell his friends, "Well, my dad said that the Death Eaters don't _take _prisoners. They torture and kill people."

"But they took Black and Lupin," the boy across from him pointed out as he buttered a slice of toast.

"That doesn't mean they're _prisoners_ though, does it?" The first boy responded. "How do we know the attack wasn't just a distraction, a way for You-Know-Who to bring some of his supporters to him without making anyone suspicious of them? I mean we all know Black's in league with Him, so maybe he got Lupin to join up as well. They've probably been spying on us for Him for months – maybe even years," the brunette said with conviction.

The three boys who hadn't spoken yet, one of whom played Quidditch with James and Sirius, nodded in agreement. The blonde looked unsure but said nothing. James glanced at Peter, and saw that the other boy was doing his best to contain his anger. James didn't bother. Before the brown haired boy down the table could say one more word against his friends, James stood up and marched over to the group. Peter quickly followed his friend, intending to offer any support he could.

As they approached the younger boys, James was made even angrier when he realized that Remus had actually saved two of them. Most of the other Gryffindors had noticed James and Peter stalking towards the fourth years, and had turned to see what was going on. Only the boys James intended to 'speak' with had failed to notice them. They did, however, notice when James grabbed the boy who'd been doing most of the talking by the back of his shirt and pulled him out of his seat, turning the smaller boy around to face him. He didn't care that they were in the middle of the very crowded Great Hall. Nor did James care that practically everyone was watching them, and that he was sure to get a detention for this. It didn't matter.

The brunette spluttered indignantly for a moment, before James spoke in a deadly calm voice. "How dare insult my friends like that. They saved your fucking worthless _lives_," he said, glaring scathingly at the other four boys who were still sitting at the table, shocked that he'd overheard their conversation. "They saved your lives, and yet you still have the nerve to call them Death Eaters?" James released the smaller boy, and turned to the Hall at large. "Sirius and Remus have never done anything to you! They never gave any of you reason to doubt them, and yet you do! You- you bloody stupid COWARDS! They fought the Death Eaters! Unlike the rest of you, my friends stood up to the Death Eaters, and you call _them_ the traitors? How _dare _you!"

James paused in his tirade as his eyes filled with tears – both out of anger and out of grief for his friends. The entire Hall was silent, as everyone stared at him in shock. James glanced up at the head table, and noticed both Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall looking at him proudly. Peter was standing beside him silently, staring in defiance at the rest of the students. James took a deep breath before continuing.

"You know nothing about them – nothing about _any _of us, if you think us capable of supporting that monster," he stated, his voice returning to that deadly calm he'd used earlier. "Sirius hates anything to do with the Dark Arts – something the Gryffindors should know," he added, glaring at his housemates. "He disowned his family because he hates the things they believe in! And Remus – what the hell has he ever done to any of you, besides show his kindness? He's never said a thing against any of you, he bends over backwards to help students he doesn't even know – and you still say he's a traitor! You people are – I hate you! ALL of you!" James shouted. Without saying another word to anyone, he turned and stormed out of the Hall.

Much to everyone else's surprise, Peter didn't follow him. He too had something he wanted to say. Taking a tentative step forward, Peter spoke in a nervous but nevertheless determined voice. "You people make me sick. Death Eaters captured Sirius and Remus because not because they're spies, but because they were brave enough to stand up to them. And all any of you can do is accuse them of things they'd never dream of doing. If they die," he said tears coming to his own eyes as well, "if they die, I will hold all of you responsible, because you turned your backs on them when they never did anything to deserve your hatred." With that, Peter turned and followed his friend out of the Hall that was for once, completely silent.

Unnoticed by any of the students, Professor McGonagall turned to Professor Dumbledore. She said in a whisper, "Well. If I didn't agree with you before, Albus, I certainly do now."

A/N: Well! That was certainly hard to write! Just a little heads up - not sure when I'll be able to update any of my stories after this. Exams start this week, and then I'll be busy with summer school, and hopefully a job. I'll still try topost somethingas often as I can, and don't forget - the more reviews I get, the more likely I am to update!


	6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Remus groaned in pain as he woke up. His legs and arms ached due to the abuse they'd received from the Death Eaters over the past few days, and his head felt like it was about to explode. He struggled to clear his head so he could focus on discovering the extent of his injuries. Stretching his arms in an attempt to lessen the pain, he cried out as something in his shoulder popped.

His cry caused Sirius, who'd been curled up in a corner of the stone cell they'd been thrown into after they were apparated away by the Death Eaters, to stir. Sirius also groaned as he began to move around. "God, I feel like I've been run over by one of those double-decker busses," He moaned.

"Try being hit with several Cruciatus Curses at once," Remus said as he managed to get to his feet.

"I think I might have preferred the busses," Sirius said as he looked around their cell. He and Remus had been unconscious for most of their time here, so they hadn't gotten a good look at their prison until then. There wasn't much to it. It was clearly an old dungeon of some sort, with flagged stone walls, ceiling, and floor. There was a heavy stone door that took up most of one of the walls. The only illumination came from a small barred window just below the ceiling on the wall opposite the door.

"How long have we been here?" Sirius asked while he tried to rub some of the feeling back into his arms.

"A few days at least, I'm not really sure how long. I think they kept us both unconscious most of the time, until now," Remus said. Before he could say anything else, they heard the sound of keys jangling outside the door. A moment later, the thick door was pushed open with a loud creek and in stepped two hooded Death Eaters. One of them resembled a small boulder, while the other was short and fairly skinny. Each of them was carrying a tray of food.

"Good," the boulder said in a gruff voice. "You're awake. Our Master will be pleased. He has been waiting to speak with the both of you, and he is not a patient man."

Sirius growled as he jumped to his feet, ignoring the jolt of pain that shot through his leg. "Well, you can tell you _master _that we want nothing to do with him," he snarled, kicking out at the nearest Death Eater.

The man he'd tried to kick pulled out his wand and pointed it at Sirius, preparing to curse him. His partner grabbed his arm in restraint saying, "Don't, Nott. The Master said not to touch them until he's seen them. He wants them unsullied."

Nott sighed in exasperation. "You're right. I don't want to displease the Master. But you," he said, turning to face Sirius and Remus. "You will soon learn your place. The Master will see to it that you are disciplined. We will return in an hour. I'd suggest you eat first." With that, the two men turned and stalked out of the cell, making sure to lock the door behind them.

As soon as they were gone, Sirius turned to Remus. They were each wearing the same worried expressions. "I wonder what Voldemort wants with us," Remus said, trying to keep his voice from trembling and giving away just how terrified he was. "I mean, he can't possibly want information from us. So why did he take us?"

At first, Sirius didn't say anything. He thought he knew why Voldemort might want them, but he wasn't sure. Sirius sat back down and pulled one of the trays to him, handing the other to Remus as the werewolf joined him against the back wall. He took a few bites of the sandwich he'd been given before saying, "I think Voldemort wants me because I'm a Black. Our family is known for producing powerful wizards. Not only that, but I've spoken out against my family for years, so no one who matters believes that I would join the Death Eaters. He probably thinks I'd make the perfect spy. As for you, I'm not sure, but I think Voldemort might know that you're a werewolf. I don't know how he could have found out, but he _has _been recruiting vampires and werewolves to his cause, so it's possible he might want one who's at Hogwarts and close to Dumbledore. I know you'd never join Voldemort," Sirius said, seeing Remus about to protest. "I'm just saying that could be what he wants from you. He might want you to bite some of the students and then recruit them for him. If you were the sort of person who'd do that, it would be the perfect plan. After all, Dumbledore would never suspect that you would do that on purpose, so he'd do his best to keep you at Hogwarts."

"Where I could continue to hurt others," Remus said quietly. He didn't like what Sirius was saying, and could tell by the look on Sirius' face that his friend didn't like thinking about it any more than he did. Nevertheless, Remus couldn't deny that what Sirius said made since. It was entirely possible that Voldemort wanted him because he'd somehow found out that Remus was a werewolf. "Sirius, if what you're saying is true, do you realize what it means?"

"Yeah," Sirius said with a despondent nod. The Ministry wasn't supposed to disclose the identities of underage wizards, even though they were all required to register and be branded. "If Voldemort knows about you, then it means that the Ministry of Magic has been corrupted. They've been infiltrated by spies."

Neither of them spoke much after that, choosing to finish their meals in silence. After he finished eating, Remus pushed his tray away and leaned back against the wall, his eyes closed in thought. Sirius, for lack of anything better to do, resumed his examination of their prison. When he glanced back at Remus he was startled to see tears in his friend's eyes. "Remus?" he asked, rushing to the other boy's side. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Remus took a deep breath as he opened his eyes and wiped his tears away. Rather than look Sirius in the eye, he stared off into space, a pained expression coming to his face. "I keep thinking about them," Remus said, his voice thick with sadness. Sirius knew without asking that Remus was referring to his family.

"Every time I close my eyes I see my sister, Annette, her blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail as she tries to get me to explore the forest in our village with her," Remus said, a blank look crossing his features as he remembered how active and happy his younger sister had been. "She could never sit still, you know? Always had to be climbing trees or flying on her toy broom, or exploring some new place."

"I remember," Sirius murmured, placing an arm around his friend's shoulders and holding him tightly. "She used to follow James around whenever we came over to visit. He said it drove him up the wall, but I'm pretty sure he really liked the attention."

"No doubt," Remus said. He smiled weakly before he continued. "She told me one time that she was going to marry James when she grew up. I told her she had terrible taste and that I'd have to kill James if he ever tried anything with her, and she just laughed and said, 'You'll see, Remy. I'm sure you'll get used to it.' I hated it when she called me that. Now, though…now, I can't stop thinking about how she'll never say it again. She'll never have her first date, never go to Hogwarts…she was so excited about Hogwarts, too. She used to chase after the train whenever it was time for me to leave. Annette…Annette so wanted to go to school. She used to swear up and down that she'd be on theQuidditch team in her first year. She said she'd smuggle her broom into school and play, regardless of what the rules against first years playing were. Her letter would have come this year, too."

"Now," Remus said, his voice choking up with tears. "Now she'll never do any of that. And my parents…they'll never see me graduate, get a job. They'll never be able to take Annette shopping for her first wand, never be able to brag to all their friends about how their daughter was the youngest person to play Quidditch at Hogwarts. And it's all because of the monster who's holding us captive. He took that from them – from me, and I – Voldemort destroyed my family, and there's not a damn thing I can do about it, and I _hate _it! I- it's just- it's not _fair_! Why did they have to die!" Remus sobbed, unable to continue.

"I know it isn't fair," Sirius said, rubbing circles on Remus back. "Life hasn't exactly been fair to either of us, has it? I mean, look at us. You're family's gone, and mine tried to kill me."

That made Remus look up at his friend in surprise. Sirius hadn't told them that. "What? What do you mean?"

"That's why I left home this summer," Sirius said with a small sigh.

"I thought you said you'd gotten into a fight with your parents, and that they threw some hexes at you so you left," Remus said in confusion. He hadn't forgotten how he'd felt a few minutes ago, but Sirius' statement about his family had done what Sirius had intended – it distracted Remus from thought about his own loss.

"That's what happened. I just didn't mention that the hexes they shot at me were Unforgivables," Sirius said, his voice dripping with disgust for his family. "Fortunately for me, the only one they didn't manage to hit me with was the Killing Curse. The others though…they tortured me for a while. Why do you think I was in such bad shape when I showed up at James' house?"

Remus couldn't think of anything to say to that, so instead he asked, "But what did you do to get them so angry? I know you said they were bad, but you never mentioned anything about torture before."

"That's because they never tortured me before then," Sirius said, looking down at his lap. "As for why they did it, well, let's just say they found out something about me that sort of sent them over the edge."

"What could your parents have found out that would have made them so angry?" Remus asked. He knew Sirius' family hadn't liked their oldest son for years, but couldn't think of anything that would set them off like that.

"One afternoon, Kreature came into my room to 'clean' while I was out," Sirius muttered in a disgruntled tone. "Before leaving, I'd been in the middle of writing a letter to someone. When he came in to clean, he saw it on my desk and read it before showing it to my parents. I should have known better than to leave it out, but it doesn't really matter now, anyway. My mum was waiting for me at the door when I got home. You know what happened after that."

"So what was in the letter?" Remus asked, curious.

Sirius sighed. He was beginning to regret saying anything about his parents. But he knew he needed to say what he'd been holding inside for so long before he lost his nerve. Sirius just hoped that Remus wouldn't hold what he was about to say against him.

"It was a love letter," Sirius said.

"I don't understand," Remus confessed. "Why would that make them so angry?"

"Because," Sirius forced out as he did his best to avoid Remus' gaze. "It was a letter to another boy. More specifically, it was for you."

A moment of shocked silence reigned between them, as Sirius waited for the blow he knew would be coming. When nothing happened, he looked up at his friend. Sirius was relieved to see that rather than angry, Remus simply looked as if he'd just received the shock of his life.

"You love me?" Remus asked slowly, trying to make sure he'd heard right.

"Yes. I have since third year. I'm sorry," Sirius said, looking down in shame.

Remus took a deep breath before taking Sirius' face in his hands and forcing his friend to look at him. Sirius flinched slightly at Remus' touch, but looked the other boy in the eyes nonetheless. "Sirius," Remus said firmly. "You have nothing to be sorry about. You see, I-"

But before Remus could say anything else, the door was pushed open and their cell was flooded with six or seven Death Eaters. It was time for them to meet Voldemort.

A/N: Well, I'm sorry it's been such a long wait.But I hope ya'll like this - the slash I promised is finally here! Anyway, in answer to a question someone asked, (sorry, but I don't remember who) I got the idea for this story from a fic I read at the Sirius/Remus slash archive. Can't remember the website. I think it was called The Chartalan Death Eater. I think it's good, but it's very graphic. Anyway, please review!


	7. Chapter Seven

A/N: Sorry this took so long. I have one small correction: In the last chapter, I said that the Ministry wasn't supposed to give out the identities of underage wizards. I meant to say underage werewolves. Anyway, thanks for all the reviews!

Chapter Seven

James frowned in confusion as he and Peter made their way to the Headmaster's office. A few minutes after he'd stormed out of the Great Hall that morning, he and Peter and been stopped on the way back to Gryffindor Tower by a House-elf. Apparently, the Headmaster wanted to have a word with them. James' first thought was that they were in trouble for the scene they'd made at earlier, but if that were the case, Professor McGonagall would have handled it by herself. There was no reason for Professor Dumbledore to get involved. Obviously, there was something going on that they didn't know about.

"I wonder why Dumbledore wants to see us," Peter said as they reached the corridor outside the Headmaster's office.

"I was just wondering about that," James said. "Maybe he's found something out about Sirius and Remus, and he's going to tell us about it."

"I hope so," Peter stated. They stopped talking when the reached the gargoyle blocking the entrance to Dumbledore's office. After speaking the password they'd been given by the house-elf, the two boys stepped onto the spiral staircase that wound its way upward towards the Headmaster's office.

"Ah, Mr. Potter, Mr. Pettigrew," Professor Dumbledore said seconds later, as the two boys stepped into his office. "Please, take a seat. Now, I'm sure the two of you are wondering why I asked to see you."

"Yes, sir," James said, as he and Peter sat down in two of the chairs across from the Headmaster's desk. "Is it about Sirius and Remus? Or are we in trouble for what happened at breakfast?"

The Headmaster allowed himself a small chuckle at James' bluntness. "Neither of you is in any trouble," Dumbledore replied. "In fact, I must say that I was quite proud of you boys this morning."

"I don't understand, sir," Peter said, looking confused. They'd made a scene at breakfast, and the Headmaster was proud of them?

"Professor McGonagall and I were impressed by your willingness to stand up for your friends, especially considering the fact that so many of your classmates have forsaken their friends with even less cause than the two of you have," Dumbledore said, his expression solemn. "It is becoming distressingly clear that our students, along with the rest of the wizarding word, need to learn that there is no such thing as 'guilt by association'. With any luck, your classmates will take your words this morning to heart. Perhaps they will come to understand that being related to or associated with someone who is _believed _to be involved in Dark activities means nothing."

James looked doubtful. "With all due respect, sir, I have a feeling that it's going to take a good bit more than what we said this morning to get everyone to see sense."

Dumbledore nodded sadly. He sighed before saying, "I fear you may be correct, Mr. Potter. However, there is a group of talented witches and wizards who are attempting to aid the Ministry in combating Lord Voldemort as well as the prejudice inherent in our society. You must know that I am telling you boys this in the strictest confidence. You must not discuss anything I am about to tell you outside of this room – not even amongst yourselves," Dumbledore said, peering intently at the two young Gryffindors.

James and Peter both nodded. "We understand, sir," Peter said. "We won't say a word about this to anyone."

"I expected no less of you," Dumbledore told them. "I founded this group, known amongst its members as the Order of the Phoenix, several years ago when it became clear that the Ministry had no intention of responding to the threat of Lord Voldemort. Recently, I have employed the Order members in attempting to locate Mr. Black and Mr. Lupin, as well as trying to find out exactly why your friends were taken."

"And?" James interrupted impatiently. "What have they found? Do they know where Remus and Sirius are?" He and Peter both leaned forward unconsciously, their expressions eager.

The Headmaster took a moment to adjust his half-moon glasses, before looking both teens in the eyes once more. "By tracing the magical trail left by the Death Eaters who Disapparated out of Hogsmeade a few days ago, we have been able to four different locations that they could have Apparated to. As we speak, my agents are attempting to ascertain whether or not they moved after they reached their initial destinations. I have high hopes that your friends will soon be found."

"So you don't think they've been killed?" Peter asked worriedly.

"No, I do not," Dumbledore said, shaking his head. "If Voldemort had wanted them dead, he would have had his Death Eaters kill them during the attack. It is my opinion that he staged the attack for the express purpose of bringing them to him. Sirius and Remus are both very talented wizards, and have the potential to become extremely powerful. They could grow to become very powerful allies – or incredibly dangerous enemies. It is also likely that Voldemort wants them for the very reasons that they have been experiencing prejudice."

James looked both angry and thoughtful. "You mean, he took them in order to try and recruit them? And he wants them because Remus is a werewolf, and Sirius a Black?"

"Precisely," Dumbledore said with a small nod.

"But they would never join Voldemort!" James exclaimed, jumping up out of his seat in his agitation. "That dirty monster killed Remus' family! If anything, Sirius and Remus would want to get revenge against him. The day my two best friends join the Death Eaters will be the day Hell freezes over."

"And that is why I can only hope that they are together in their captivity," the aged Headmaster said with a small sad sigh. "They will need each other's support if they are to resist Voldemort's powers."

* * *

Moments after being removed from their cell by the half-dozen Death Eaters, Remus and Sirius were being led down a narrow stone passageway that seemed to be going deep underground. It was lit at intervals by flickering torches, casting odd shadows along the walls, and making the already sloping path even more treacherous. Their hands had been magically bound, making it difficult for Sirius to keep his balance as they walked along the uneven floor. Sirius forced himself not to dwell on what might happen to them in the next few minutes, as he felt cold panic springing up inside him.

When he took a glance at Remus, Sirius saw that his friend looked incredibly pail (whether it was from rage or fear, he couldn't tell), and his eyes were still red from crying. He also noted that the werewolf's expression was pained, and he was struggling – and failing – to hide a limp. Remus' ankle had obviously gone untreated since the battle a few days ago, and his injury seemed to have gotten worse due to the treatment they'd received at the hands of the Death Eaters. The other boy's hazel eyes shone with some sort of inner light, as if Remus somehow knew that he could handle whatever was coming. And perhaps he could, Sirius realized. After all, the torture they'd been subjected to in the last three days probably wasn't any worse than the pain Remus dealt with every month during the full moon.

Sirius couldn't help flinching as he thought back to the conversation he and Remus had been having before the Death Eaters interrupted them. It had taken him a long time to accept how he felt about Remus, but he'd never planned on telling anyone that he was in love with another boy. Over the summer, Sirius had taken to writing letters like the one Kreachure (is that how you spell it? I can't remember.) had found as a sort of outlet for his feelings. Even James didn't know that his best friend was gay. It wasn't that he thought the others would shun him for being gay; Sirius was certain his friends would be able to accept his homosexuality – after all, they could accept Remus' lycanthropy, and that was at least dangerous. No, what Sirius had been worried about was how Remus would react to finding out that he was the reason Sirius knew he was gay. After all, not having a problem with one of your best friends being gay was very different from being able to deal with your gay best friend being in love with you.

He knew Remus would never hate him for his feelings. After all, both of them were hated enough because of things they couldn't help; they both needed all the friends they could get. However, Sirius was equally certain that Remus could never return his feelings, and that he had just seriously damaged their friendship with his revelation. That knowledge brought on a fresh wave of despair. They would stay friends, of course, but Sirius knew that he would never again be as close to Remus as he had been. Even though that closeness had driven Sirius to long for more, he knew it was more than he deserved.

Thoughts of ways that he could repair his and Remus' friendship fled from his mind as their group rounded a corner, and Sirius saw what was awaiting them.

A/N: Well, I hope everyone likes this one! Sorry it's not that long, but oh well. Anyway, I've decided to start acknowledging the reviews I get. At the moment, I'm just going to reply to the ones for chapter six, because I'm just to lazy to go back reread all the others.

**lizbennett: **My dear friend, I'm glad I made you cry. That might sound mean, but it means that I'm getting my point across. This is supposed to be an emotional story. And if I get my way, people will be crying a good bit more before this fic is over.

**Ceyxa: **I'm glad you like the way I've done this. I usually try to stay as true to the way I think the Marauders behaved as possible.

**Mykah Leigh: **I've read your story, and I think it's really good. Very dramatic. Thanks for reading mine.

**Nina: **Glad you like the slash.

**marauding-siriusly: **I completely agree about Peter. He's hardly my favorite character (that would be Remus), but I don't think the others would have been friends with him if he'd started out evil. I think something happened after Hogwarts that might have made him go over to Voldemort's side, and it really bothers me when people portray him as evil and mindless.

Okay, now I think you all know what to do next. Just click on the little button down there that says 'review', and tell me what you think. NO FLAMES.


	8. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

_Oh bloody hell, _Sirius thought to himself. He felt the color drain from his face and could hear Remus take in a sharp breath of air. They had been led into what looked like a cross between a medieval torture chamber and a throne room. It was made of the same sort of heavy stone as everything else, and was absolutely enormous. The chamber was illuminated by torches that dotted the walls at intervals, casting odd shadows about the room and making everything seem even more eerie. Heavy, rusting chains hung from the ceiling, with manacles attached at the ends. There were all sorts of other devices around the room that Sirius didn't even want to guess the uses of. One of them would have looked like a perfectly normal armchair – if it hadn't been for the gigantic metal spikes on the arms, legs, and back of the chair.

However, Sirius wouldn't have been nearly as frightened as he was if it hadn't been for one thing. At the very back of the room, sitting in what appeared to be an elaborate throne made of stone, was Lord Voldemort. He was pale and bone thin, his gaunt and somewhat emaciated skin pulled tight over his body. Voldemort seemed faded out, and Sirius would have thought him dead if not for the way his red, catlike eyes gleamed with malice. The Dark Lord smiled a grim, twisted smile that invited no comfort as they approached. When they stood before him, he waved the Death Eaters off. The six of them removed themselves to stand guard at the entrance to the room.

"So," Voldemort said, his twisted smile growing. "Our guests have finally awakened. I do hope you've enjoyed your stay."

"Oh yes," Remus said boldly, ignoring the fear writhing in his gut. "We do so love being kidnapped, tortured, and locked in a cell with little food and water. It's been absolutely lovely."

"I'm glad you think so," Voldemort replied with a small tilt of his head. "After all, you're going to be here for quite a while. Unless, of course, you agree to help me with a few small projects."

Sirius raised his eyebrows in surprise, an expression of anger and fear contorting his face. "And what would these 'small projects' be?"

"You will join my Death Eaters," Voldemort answered with absolute certainty. "You will learn to serve me faithfully. I will have different tasks for each of you, of course, but you may be allowed to work together for some of them if you do well. You, Lupin are a werewolf, and will therefore recruit others of your kind to my cause, either by persuasion or by attack."

"You want me to help you create your own army of werewolves," Remus said doubtfully. _This monster killed my family, and he still expects me to _help _him?_

Voldemort nodded in approval. "Precisely. Your task, Black, will be to spy on Dumbledore and the Potters. I have other spies, of course, but Dumbledore trusts none of them. He trusts you – which is why I need you. As I said, you will have other tasks to perform, but those will be your primary jobs."

Remus and Sirius glanced at each other in support before looking back at Voldemort. Sirius spoke first. "What happens if we say no?" _As if there's any doubt of that, _he thought derisively.

"No?" Voldemort asked, smiling condescendingly at them. "There is no 'no' when it comes to my requests, Black. It is quite simple; the two of you will comply with my demands. If you do not, you will both find out first hand what the devices in this room are used for," he said, gesturing at the spiked chair.

"Not only that," Voldemort said, standing up from his throne and moving towards them with the grace of a predator. "But I may be tempted to let my other servants play with you." As Voldemort said this, he reached out and ran a long, cold finger down the side of Remus' face. Remus shuddered both at the touch and what was implied by it.

Sirius held in a growl at the sight of someone touching the boy he loved. Voldemort smiled at Sirius' enraged expression. "Yes," he said he with a wide smile, running his eyes over both boys while signaling for the Death Eaters to come back. "I think you'll do quite nicely. But to show my generosity, I shall give you time to think. You don't want to make any hasty decisions, after all."

_You mean you'll give us more time to be intimidated, _Sirius thought angrily as he and Remus were led back out of the chamber. _Before you try to torture and rape us into submission._

A/N: I'm terribly sorry this took so long, and is so disgustingly short. It's also probably a bit disturbing, but that's just the way my mind works sometimes. Don't worry though; I won't hurt my favorite two characters too badly. Anyway, please review! And remember: absolutely no flames.


	9. Chapter Nine

A/N: I feel horrible. Not only have I not updated _anything_ since November, I haven't updated this story since July. I'm so sorry. Kind of. No excuses, really, except that I was being lazy. I've decided that I'm no longer going to promiseconsistently regular updates...I'll try my best, though. Anyway, on with the story. Oh, and in caseyou don't remember, I'm not making any money...because number one, I don't have a job and number two, I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER. Now, enjoy.

Chapter Nine

Remus stumbled but managed to keep his balance as he and Sirius were roughly shoved back into their cell. Sirius turned around to snarl at their guards, only to have the huge door slammed in his face. He cursed as he heard their cruel laughter on the other side. "That's right, laugh!" Sirius growled angrily, "You won't be laughing when we get out of here, you brainless little fawning sycophantic freaks!"

"Calm down, Sirius," Remus said with a relieved sigh as he sank to the floor, leaning against the rear wall. "Getting angry won't do us any good. We've got to – got to think of something. What are we going to do?"

"I don't know," Sirius said despairingly. He paused, listening to their guards walk away after locking the door. "I don't know. We can't stay here, that much is obvious. But – we're sixteen. Fighting the Death Eaters in Hogsmeade was one thing. How are we supposed to resist torture and-" Sirius couldn't even get the word out.

"And rape? We will," Remus said quietly, "because we've got to. Because following Voldemort would be the worst kind of betrayal. We'd not only be turning our backs on our friends, but also on ourselves. And because, if we did join him – we're not killers, Sirius. Neither one of us is. And if we did become Death Eaters, we'd have to kill people. Probably even people we know."

"Maybe even James or Peter," Sirius murmured as he dropped down next to Remus. "We'd hesitate…or run."

"And no one lives long when running from Voldemort," Remus agreed. "Especially if they're a Death Eater. Which, aside from the fact that we'd be waving a not-so-cheery goodbye to everything we believe in and everyone we care about, is precisely why we'll resist his treatments."

"Because we've got to," Sirius said, running a manacle hand through his dirty, tangled hair. "We've got no choice. But how do we _survive_ it?"

Remus stayed silent. He didn't have the answer to that question. He did know one thing, though. Maybe it was fear of what might come to pass in the near future, but there was something that Remus couldn't let pass. Remus shifted a little closer to his friend – a difficult feat, as his hands were still chained together – and whispered, "Sirius?"

Remus looked up at the other boy as Sirius turned to face him, a question in his eyes. "Yeah?" Sirius asked. In response, Remus leaned in, pressing his lips against Sirius'.

* * *

"Hey Potter!" 

James jumped in surprise at the sound of someone other than Peter calling his name. His surprise increased when he stopped in the corridor on his way to the Library and turned around to see a red haired beauty walking towards him, her face a melting pot of emotions. Most of the other students had been giving him and Peter a wide berth ever since their scene at breakfast a few days ago. They didn't really mind, as they were both angry with their fellow students. But still, it was beginning to get…lonely. He and Peter were great friends, but spending so much time together only served to remind them that their two best friends were still missing.

"Something I can help you with, Evans?" James asked, somewhat impatiently. He really wanted to get to the Library - after their talk with Dumbledore, James and Peter had decided to do a bit of research of their own in the hopes that they might find something useful – something that might help them bring their friends back. School being back in session, they'd been forced to visit the Library only during breaks between classes and after meals. James and Peter hadn't wanted to miss class – partly because they couldn't help but hope that one of the Professors might mention something helpful, and partly because they both needed something to do; but also because they knew that when Sirius and Remus returned, Remus would want them to catch him up in their coursework. Somehow, the two boys had come to equate going to class with being faithful to what Remus would want them to do, and hoping that he and Sirius would come back. So far, they'd been unsuccessful in their search, but James wasn't about to let that stop him.

"No, I -" Evans paused and glanced down at the ground, her cheeks flushing slightly. She balled her hands into tight fists and took a deep breath before looking directly at him. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I know it won't do any good, but – I am. I'm sorry for the way everyone's been treating Black, I'm sorry for what's happened to him and Lupin, and I'm sorry that I didn't do anything to help."

James tensed and clenched his jaw in anger. If Evans thought that saying she was sorry was going to do a damn bit of good, she was incredibly, horribly wrong. James forced himself to relax, remembering that getting angry at her was pointless – she and the other Muggleborns had been suffering prejudice at the hands of some of the more outspoken Death Eater supporters in the school, though it had somehow escaped the professors' notice. Evans hadn't done anything wrong. Besides, she was at least being nice to him, which was an improvement over the way she'd treated him before this stuff with Voldemort had started.

"You're right," he said, unclenching his jaw. "It won't do any good."

Evans flinched imperceptibly before looking back at him. "Look, Potter," she said. "I just – I'm sorry. And I wanted to know if – may I walk with you?"

James stared at her in shock for a second, before coming to his senses. He shrugged. "Sure. I was just going to the Library."

Evans nodded, falling in to step next to him. They walked in silence for a few moments before she asked, "Is there any news? Has Professor Dumbledore told you anything?"

"Not much," James said sadly. "All he's said is that he thinks they're alive (A/N: Keep in mind that James and Peter aren't supposed to discuss what Dumbledore said about the Order.)."

"Well that's – something, at least," she said with a half-shrug and an encouraging smile. "If Dumbledore thinks they're alive, they definitely are."

"Yeah," James said dispiritedly. Silence fell once again as they walked on. They came to a stop outside the Library a few moments later, and James glanced at Evans before saying, "Well, thanks for talking with me. I guess I'll just – I'll see you later."

"Right," Evans said. But she didn't move as he turned to open the doors. Just as James was about to go in, she said, "Wait, Potter."

He turned back, looking at her questioningly.

Evans took a step forward, her left hand fiddling with her long, wavy hair as she placed her right hand on the door. "I was wondering. I noticed you and Pettigrew spending a lot of time in here, and I had a feeling you might not be doing homework because, well, you only do it if Lupin makes you, and – well, I thought you might be trying to find something to help them, and I just sort of figured that three heads are better than two. So I guess…if that's what you're doing – I'll help. If you want me to, that is."

James just looked at her for a moment before moving aside and holding the door open, telling her, "Yeah. Yeah, we'd like that. Pete's in class right now, but he's supposed to meet me here when he gets out. So, yeah. I could use the help."

Evans ducked her head slightly as she entered the Library, saying, "Right. Well, let's get to work then. And you can call me Lily."

A/N: If you liked it, tell me. If you didn't, tell me why - but no flames.


	10. Chapter Ten

A/N: Isn't this just like me? I don't update for a long time, and then suddenly I write two chapters in two days! Anyway, this chapter is a bit different from the others, and maybe a little disturbing, but I like it. Oh, and I made a few small changes to chapter two that have a bit to do with what's going on here, so you may want to reread it if you first read it beforeI posted this chapter. Cheerio dahlings!

Chapter Ten

The young Death Eater sighed in resignation as he paced around the confines of the small room that served as his living quarters, considering the turn his life had taken in the past few months. His family had always supported the Dark Lord, had even encouraged the children to enter His service, and he'd somehow known that he would eventually do as his parents wanted him to. He simply hadn't thought it would happen so soon. When his parents had come to him at the end of the summer, their faces glowing with pride, and told him that they were taking him out of school, that the Dark Lord himself had requested to meet him, he hadn't had much choice. He wouldn't go against his parents.

Things had progressed quickly from there. The first meeting had taken place at his own home in London with the Dark Lord, a few of the top ranking Death Eaters, and his parents the only witnesses. He'd been nervous, struggling to hide his fear as he entered his father's drawing room to find his parents – whom he'd always found intimidating – as well as the Dark Lord and three masked Death Eaters waiting for him. He'd been questioned both by the Dark Lord and by the Death Eaters about his beliefs concerning the purity of blood, the treatment of half-breeds, and many other issues of concern. The young man – boy really, as there had still been a part of him that wished for his older brother's protection – had given all the right answers. Who wouldn't, when surrounded by such company?

He hadn't taken the oath right away, but it hadn't been long after that. His father had received a missive from the Dark Lord a few days later, informing them that he would speak with them again in late December. The second meeting took place in the Malfoys' manor, and this time he hadn't been the only recruit – many others had been present, most of whom he'd recognized as sixth and seventh year Slytherins and Ravenclaws. His parents, as proud as they'd been to know that the Dark Lord wanted him, had been happier than he'd ever seen them when they realized that _their son _was to be the youngest new Death Eater. The others had looked at him in shock, wondering what sort of skills he had that he was called upon when he'd only just turned fifteen.

After another round of questioning they'd dueled each other, thus giving the Dark Lord first hand knowledge of their skills and reflexes. Those who had failed to impress were dismissed in shame with a simple frown. Those who had passed the test had been paired up with a full Death Eater and taken into separate rooms. It was in these rooms that the real trials had taken place.

The Death Eater he'd been assigned to was Augustus Rookwood, a ministry employee who'd been a guest at parties held by his parents on a number of occasions. The boy could remember Rookwood showing quite a lot of interest in his brother, but barely acknowledging him. His brother, as brave as he'd seemed when they were younger, had always shied away from Rookwood's presence. As soon as he'd stepped into the tiny room on the top floor of the Malfoys' mansion, he'd known why. A part of him had wanted to resist the orders Rookwood had given him, but he knew that if he did the Dark Lord would be displeased. He did not want to incur His displeasure, and so he'd submitted.

He'd been forced to undergo a series of dark curses, including the Cruciatus, in order to see just how much pain he could stand. Rookwood had then put him under the Imperius Curse, as a means of determining his strength of will. Those who failed to fight the Curse were accepted, but at a lower rank. Those who threw the Imperius Curse off almost immediately became honored members of the Dark Lord's inner circle. The boy had fought the curse, something that wasn't as surprising as it might have been – he'd willed himself to not disappoint his family. The Dark Lord had been informed of his success, and the first of two initiation stages had begun.

After speaking briefly with the Dark Lord, he and Rookwood had returned to the tiny, cell-like room. As soon as the door had been shut and locked, Rookwood had ordered him to remove his clothes and get down on his hands and knees. Doing his best to hide his fearful tremors at what he knew was about to happen, he'd done so. Yet again, there was a part of him – a part that sounded painfully like his brother - telling not to do this, that he had another choice. Yet again, he'd squelched that little voice, knowing then that it was too late – that he had no other choice. He'd dropped to his hands and knees and tried not to make a sound as he was consumed with a burning pain that was altogether different from what he'd experienced earlier.

That had been nearly two weeks ago, and he'd only seen his parents briefly the next morning before traveling with the Dark Lord, the current Death Eaters, and those who had managed to survive the night to the dismal, almost gothic castle they were in now. His parents had been…pleased. Pleased that _this one_ would be more of a success than they'd ever thought possible.

He and the other new members had spent their time at the castle being trained under the Death Eaters they'd been assigned to. The second stage of his initiation would begin soon, though he had no idea what he would have to do. Perhaps he would-

The wooden door to his small room opened with a squeak, bringing him out of his reverie. He turned to see Rookwood standing in the doorway, light filtering in from the hall shrouding his face in shadows. "Come," the man said his voice deep and rumbling. "It is time for you to prove your worthiness to the Dark Lord once and for all."

The boy bristled slightly at Rookwood's tone, which said quite clearly that he didn't think the boy would pass this particular test. The boy nodded and said only, "I will prove myself."

Rookwood smirked in response as he stepped back into the hallway, saying, "We shall see. Come this way."

He followed the other wizard through a series of maze-like passages until they finally reached a narrow corridor with only a few flickering torches perched precariously along the walls at various intervals. He mused absently on what he might be required to do, wondering all the while if the rumors he'd heard from the others who'd been recruited that was holding prisoners were true. Perhaps he'd have to take part in torturing them. He'd been to this part of the castle before, and knew that this area would be the best place to keep prisoners – near enough to the other parts that it wouldn't take guards long to get here, but far enough away from any potential exits to prevent anyone who didn't know their way around from escaping.

The young Death Eater was so deep in thought that he almost didn't notice when Rookwood stopped outside a heavy stone door that was barely visible against the darkness of the corridor. Rookwood removed his wand but paused before unlocking the door. He turned to the boy and said, "The Dark Lord is in this room with two prisoners. Your task is to torture them. You will start only when told to, perform only the spells the Dark Lord orders you to, and stop only when He tells you to. You will not speak to the prisoners, unless given permission to do so. Is that clear?"

Taking a deep breath to hold back the bile rising in his throat, the boy nodded.

"Excellent," Rookwood said as he performed the charm to unlock the door. "Perform your task adequately and you shall receive your mask – and His mark. Fail, and you will die." He opened the door before anything more could be said.

The boy barely managed to hold in his shocked gasp when he recognized the prisoners.

* * *

"Sirius?" Remus asked quietly, shaking the sleeping boy beside him. After leaving them manacled for two days, the Death Eaters had finally returned to unchain them a few hours ago. Their arms were both quite sore, but at least they could move around a bit easier. 

"Yeah, love?" Sirius responded groggily. Despite the gravity of their situation, Remus blushed at that. Following their first kiss a few days ago, the two had had a long discussion concerning Remus' feelings for Sirius. They'd decided that if they only had a limited number of days left they wanted to be as happy as they could – which meant that they were now a couple.

"Tell me about Regulus," Remus said hesitantly. He felt Sirius stiffen beside him, but continued anyway. "I mean, about how he was before Hogwarts. I just want to understand what happened between the two of you."

Sirius sighed, but then nodded his agreement. "Okay," He murmured, wrapping an arm around his love. "When we were little, Reg was…good. He was - we had a cat one time that we'd found in the park. It was a sickly little thing, but it was cold outside and Reg begged me to help him sneak it home so we could take care of it. We managed to get into the house and up to my room without anyone noticing. We fed it, and Reg even wanted to give it a bath, but that didn't work out," Sirius said with a small smile.

"I bet not," Remus said, laughing a little.

Sirius' eyes became glassy and his expression distant as he continued, "We managed to hide it a few days, but then it escaped from the box we had it in. The tiny little thing ran all the way to my dad's library before we managed to catch it. Unfortunately, Dad saw us. That was the first time I ever saw Dad get really angry. He didn't hit us or anything – Mum would have, but Dad – he made us watch Kreachure drown the cat in a tub of water. Regulus was only seven, and – late that night, he crept into my room. He'd been having nightmares about the cat."

"Every time," Sirius' voice had dropped to a choked whisper, and Remus almost had to strain to hear him. "Every time he got scared, he used to come to me. He wanted me to protect him. He was a good kid, but he was really small for his age – our cousins and the children of our parents' friends used to tease him all the time, and it was my job to stand up for him. I kept him safe. I let him sleep in my bed when he had nightmares…I remember thelast night before I left for school, he came into my room crying. He said he didn't want me to go, but I told him that I had to go so I could learn spells to protect him from Bella and Cissy and the others when they came to visit. I didn't realize," Sirius said with a forced laugh, " didn't realize that would be the last time Regulus and I would be as close as that."

Remus barely had time to marvel at the changes that had been wrought on the once strong relationship between Sirius and his little brother before the door to their cell unlocked with a small click, and opened. They both looked up to see who their visitor was, and were shocked to see that it was Voldemort himself. Remus tensed, and felt Sirius tighten his hold on him.

"What the hell do you want?" Sirius asked boldly, glaring at the dark wizard before them.

Voldemort smirked, his red eyes and pale face glowing with cruel amusement. "Patience, Black. You shall see in a few moments."

"I hope you realize that whatever you're about to do to us, it won't work," Sirius growled. He was trying to present a brave face, for Remus' benefit as well as his own. He refused to show his fear to that tyrant.

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that. You see, I've prepared quite the surprise for the two of you," Lord Voldemort said with a sneer. Remus heard the lock in the door click, and registered two hooded figures standing in the doorway. One moved aside, allowing the other, smaller one to enter before closing the door. The new arrival paused upon catching sight of Remus and Sirius, but recovered himself and bowed subserviently to Voldemort.

"You know what you are to do," Voldemort said to the Death Eater. "But first, I want you to greet our guests. Remove your hood."

"Yes, my Lord," the figure murmured with another small bow. Remus held in a gasp as he recognized that voice. He glanced at Sirius as the Death Eater pushed his hood back, and his suspicions were confirmed.

"Regulus!" Sirius shouted in fear and anger, surging to his feet. He took a step forward, but then held himself back when Regulus pointed his wand at him.

"Hello, brother," Regulus whispered, his ebony hair falling into his face as he briefly glanced down at the ground. He was shaken, but when he looked back up, feeling the force of the Dark Lord's stare, his expression was hard. He tightened his grip on his wand and once again pushed back the part of him that clamored for him to stop this madness, to not hurt his brother.

Sirius' last thought before his body was plied with exquisite pain was, _I was supposed to keep him safe._


End file.
